Clemson, Pitt landed huge names with Class of 2013

Remember the winter of 2013, when Fall Out Boy reunited for a new tour and “Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters” hit theaters? OK, we don’t remember those things, either, but around college football, national signing day in 2013 was a big moment.

How big? The foundation for a run to the national championship game was set for one ACC team and superstars sent over their letters of intent for several others. This year’s NFL draft will be dominated by a handful of players who made their commitments official that day, and a few other big misses might have cost teams a chance at moving up the ACC ladder.

Dabo Swinney had landed his share of big-time recruits before 2013, but this is the class that put the Tigers in position to win a national title. Ten starters from last season’s ACC champions were singed in 2013, and that doesn’t include injured starter Mike Williams or top reserve Dorian O’Daniel. Mackensie Alexander, Ben Boulware, Wayne Gallman, Shaq Lawson — the list goes on and on. This is the type of success rate with a recruiting class that coaches can only dream of.

Shaq Lawson, a big piece in Clemson's 2013 recruiting class, was a big part of Clemson's success in 2015. AP Photo/John Raoux

Runner-up best class: Pitt Panthers

Perhaps Pitt didn’t land a class with quite as much talent as Florida State, Miami or North Carolina, but all things considered, it was an impressive haul. The 2013 class included future ACC player of the year James Conner and superstar receiver Tyler Boyd at the top end, and it also included a collection of major contributors, including Dontez Ford, Dorian Johnson, Matt Galambos and kicker Chris Blewitt.

Paul Johnson signed just 14 players in this class and six of them are no longer with the team. Still, of the eight who remain, Johnson did manage to salvage a few key players, including kicker Harrison Butker, linebacker P.J. Davis and receiver Ricky Jeune.

So far, the Class of 2013 has been something of a disappointment, and with Kyle Bolin’s up-and-down career, James Quick’s inconsistency and the lack of playing time for Stacy Thomas and James Hearns, there’s reason to be dubious that will change. But there’s still plenty of talent from that class on the roster, and the future might be bright if a few of those players turn out to be late-bloomers.

Dave Clawson inherited a roster with minimal talent, but Jim Grobe’s final signing class at Wake Forest did have a few hidden gems. Brad Watson, Cam Serigne, Marquel Lee and Josh Harris weren’t even considered the best in Wake’s class, but all four are starters now with a history of success already under their belts.